Demand outpaces donations

Demand outpaces donations

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Zak Pfau helps pack and organize food at Marana’s food bank on a recent morning. Last month, the group served 2,400 people in 699 households, more than double the amount of people it served in May 2007. Regionwide, food banks have seen a spike in demand for their services, with more and more requests for assistance coming from middle-class families, food bank officials say.

Demand outpaces donations

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, In 2007, the Community Food Bank doled out more than 14.5 million pounds of food to the region’s needy. The group forecasts even greater demand for food this year, likely outstripping donations.

Food bank volunteers

When times get tough, many people around Tucson look to the
Community Food Bank for help.

With the local economy lagging, food bank officials say they
have seen a rapid escalation in the need for food assistance.

“We’ve had a 52 percent increase in the number of food boxes we
delivered over the past two years,” said Tony Bruno, a food bank
representative.

Founded in 1976, the group has delivered countless emergency
food boxes to families in need.

Working primarily out of a giant warehouse complex on a nearly
10-acre site at Country Club Road and 36th Street in Tucson, the
organization gave out more than 14.5 million pounds of food during
the 2007 fiscal year.

The building’s towering shelves and 2,000-square-foot freezer
resemble those typical of a warehouse food store — only here all
the food is given away.

Despite the seeming abundance piled high on the shelves, Bruno
said normally there would be much more food to sort through and
distribute to the needy.

During the 2007 fiscal year, the food bank delivered more than
132,000 of the boxes providing sustenance for 381,000 people in
southern Arizona. That marks a nearly 15-percent increase in food
boxes over the previous year, according to figures provided by the
organization.

Closer to home, the Marana Food Bank has also experienced a
spike in demand for services.

In May 2007, the Marana outlet provided emergency food help for
1,300 people in 264 households. In May, the group served 2,400
people in 699 households.

Cecilia Munoz, who runs the Marana facility, said many of the
clients tell tales of having fallen victim to the recent mortgage
crisis or waiting months on end for food stamp applications to be
processed.

“That is so common that I’m hearing from clients,” Munoz
said.

Adding to the misfortune, she said, fuel prices have forced many
food bank clients to choose between food and gas.

“We have people who can only get here by carpooling with
neighbors,” Munoz said.

But for the food bank, the more troubling aspect of the recent
influx of clients in need assistance is the economic station many
once had occupied.

“We’re seeing an increase in middle-income clients,” Bruno said.
“Those are folks who used to donate to us, now they are coming in
for services.”

And while the need appears to be growing with no end in sight,
donations to the food bank have not kept pace with the demand.

The group recently wrapped up a well-publicized drive for
donations with the help of the U.S. Postal Service.

Tucsonans donated more than 1 million pounds of food during the
letter-carrier food drive, during which postal workers gathered
food along their delivery routes.

Even with the success of the campaign, Bruno said it might not
be enough to meet the growing demand in the community.

To help as many people as possible, the organization may have to
start adjusting the food box program.

“It could be that we may need to look at smaller food boxes.
That’s not really what we want to do,” Bruno said.

To prevent that, Bruno and others have tried to extend their
reach in the community and seek new partners.

The Marana Food Bank recently partnered with several area
businesses. Some, like Ace Hardware in Oro Valley, have agreed to
serve as food donation collection points.

“That’s what’s going to help us get through these summer
months,” Munoz said.

Summertime is usually the leanest time in terms of donations to
the organization, while the winter months, especially around
Christmas, see an increase in giving, Munoz said.

The food bank has also turned to the government.

The group requested $15,000 recently from the Oro Valley Town
Council. The council’s subcommittee on community funding
recommended giving the group $5,000, but the entire council must
approve the donation.

Bruno said government donations accounts for less than 20
percent of the food bank’s budget. The rest comes from the
community at large.

“That money,” Bruno said, “is well spent in the long run.”

Food Bank Assistance Programs

Food Assistance Boxes

Boxes are given based on need. Sizes vary depending on the
number of people per household.

Food Plus

Pregnant mothers, mothers who have given birth within the last
year, children between the ages of 1 and 6, and senior citizens get
six-month refillable food prescriptions.

“Snak Paks for Kids”

Teachers identify chronically hungry students. The food bank and
other groups give children a weekend supply of healthy snacks to
take home every Friday during the school term. In 2006, the program
regularly assisted more than 450 children.

Community garden

A 20-acre farm in Marana that produces seasonal produce. Also
offers demonstrations on backyard gardening techniques.

Tucson’s Table

Churches, charities and other non-profit groups can come to
Community Food Bank headquarters and “shop” for food that they then
distribute. The program helps feed as many a 32,000 people a
day.